From the Middle East to the Far East, the Pacific Rim and back again, eh?

Ken Watanbe’s series of children’s books about hot to solve problems breaks down the basic science method and blends it with magical thinking.

The book are meant for children, but adults in corporate communication workshops are also being handed these.

The problem with the books is that each child has an unrealistic situation, but a common desire. For fame in some artistic arena. 10s of millions of these are in print, primary colours and cute drawings.

Each child decides on a single path, they are taught to break down their steps, but the focus is rarely on actually learning the skill and gaining some experience and insight as to their skill level against their peers.

Furthermore, at no point in the books do the children encounter obstacles and have to explore various plans or options, or have back up plans.

The idea of a life path of childhood through school graduation into the work place and life is a complete tv myth. There is no straight line, and there is also way to remain in only one job or career path sector.

in Canada and the USA, there was a study done in the 1970s and duplicated in the 1990s, of 1,000 school kids and it measured the career aspirations of the boys vs the girls in the decades and concluded that girls self esteem continued to lag behind the boys.

The executive summary was that in the 1970s, boys were picking the Doctor, Lawyer, White Collar Professionals, as were the 1990s girls – however, in the 1970s girls, they were picking teacher, nurse, secretary.

Professions that now pay enough to attract heterosexual men, as well as the long standing gay men and heterosexual women.

Part of the prejudice of a school system where women teachers dominated at elementary school, while high schools were more teacher gender balanced, while the office staff was women with male school board admins.

What was different then, was that the boys in the 1990s, were not choosing professions that education was and remains the path to – Achievable Professions, they were picking celebrity in arts and sports.

So, my question is really, when do we measure the impact of boys never being told no, that’s not possible for you to the girls being told, those professional ranks are closed to you, you should be a secretary, assistant, helper and organizer, Teacher, Social Worker, Administrator, and so on to Secretary Day morphing in Admin Assistant Day because of the word taint and resume stain of Secretary or clerical or menial mental vs physical, stains, sweat, burn in and rust out….

There are 2 kinds of casinos in Canada – ones operated by the provinces to fund community grassroots charities and the commercial ventures that are funding the municipalities hoping to prey on tourist gamblers rather than local working poor. the people the local charities such as, in Vancouver, the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.

so if you want to really help women not go missing, please donate to them, so they don’t have to depend on their own clients….

Stephen Harper famously said that Canada was a third world nation. Years later, when he became Prime Minister, he promised we wouldn’t recognize Canada. The downtown eastside is the poorest neighbourhood in Canada